Former US special envoy for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad on Wednesday welcomed the UN secretary general’s move to appoint a special coordinator on Afghanistan affairs and said the upcoming meeting in Doha must produce a road map for engagement with Kabul – a step that “will define the ambassador’s mission”.

In a series of tweets on Wednesday Khalilzad described Feridun Sinirlioglu as an “excellent choice” for the position and said the “ambassador has two great attributes: vast experience and good judgment.”

Khalilzad stated that “3 other steps are needed.” According to him, the meeting scheduled for May 1, which will be hosted by UN chief Antonio Guterres, “must produce a road map for international engagement with Afghanistan. Such a step will define the ambassador’s mission.”

He reiterated his previous suggestions and said: “As I have stated many times, the best option is for the implementation of the still open steps in the Doha Agreement. It would be important that Ambassador Sirilinirlioglu attend this meeting.”

He also suggested a meeting with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) during the Doha gathering “to determine their commitment to full and complete implementation of the Doha agreement.”

The May 1 meeting aims to drum up international engagement around common objectives for a durable way forward on the situation in Afghanistan.

Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the UN Secretary-General, said recently that “the Secretary-General has said and continues to believe that it’s an urgent priority to advance an approach based on pragmatism and principles, combined with strategic patience, and to identify parameters for creative, flexible, principled, and constructive engagement.

“It is his aim that the discussions, which will be held behind closed doors, can contribute to a more unified consensus regarding the challenges ahead,” Dujarric said.

The IEA has however revisited the issue of Afghanistan’s seat at the UN and repeated their call last week for the seat to be handed over to the IEA’s designated representative.

“Without a doubt, this is an injustice to the people of Afghanistan. A great nation in this region should have its place in the United Nations, and in all discussions about Afghanistan, there should be the real representative of the people of Afghanistan, which is currently the Islamic Emirate,” Bilal Karimi, deputy spokesman of IEA, said.

He said that putting pressure on the IEA will not work and it will rather undermine the credibility of the foreign community.